Apokoronas defends handling of burned-out rubbish truck after opposition criticism

Summary

The municipality of Apokoronas has pushed back against opposition allegations over how it handled a fire-damaged rubbish truck, insisting that proper procedures were followed before any decommissioning steps were taken. According to the municipality, an internal inquiry was completed first, after which the formal process to retire the vehicle — alongside four other municipal vehicles — was launched with the involvement of regional and customs authorities. The municipality adds that the vehicle's insurance cover remains valid until all administrative procedures are fully concluded.

Apokoronas municipality responds to criticism over burned rubbish truck

A dispute between the Apokoronas municipal administration and the local opposition has surfaced over how the municipality handled a rubbish truck that was destroyed or heavily damaged in a fire. In a public statement issued on March 24, 2026, the municipality rejected the opposition's allegations and set out its version of events.

What happened?

One of the municipality's rubbish trucks was damaged by fire. The circumstances of the fire are not detailed in the municipality's statement. The opposition subsequently raised unspecified allegations about how the administration dealt with the aftermath — the precise nature of those allegations is not spelled out in the published text.

The municipality's position

The municipality states that every legally required step was followed. It says a police preliminary inquiry was carried out first, followed by a formal internal administrative investigation. Only after both were completed did the municipality begin the official process of decommissioning and removing the vehicle from service.

The burned truck is being decommissioned alongside four other municipal vehicles. The process involves several authorities:

Decentralised Administration of Crete
Directorate of Transport
Customs authority

The municipality also stresses that the vehicle's insurance cover remains in force until all procedures are formally completed. Acting before that point, it argues, would have been both premature and outside the legal framework. The process, it says, is already under way.

A note on sourcing

This information comes solely from a press release issued by the Apokoronas municipal administration. The specific claims made by the opposition and any independent assessment of events are not included in the source material.

Official source

PRESS RELEASE – ON THE BURNED RUBBISH TRUCK

March 24, 2026, 2:39 PM

The claims of the opposition do not correspond to reality.

For the burned rubbish truck, the legal procedure was followed in full. The preliminary police inquiry and the completion of the Administrative Disciplinary Investigation (ΕΔΕ) came first. After their completion, the prescribed decommissioning procedure for the specific vehicle began — together with 4 other vehicles of our Municipality and with the participation of all competent bodies: the Decentralised Administration of Crete, the Directorate of Transport, and the Customs authority.

It is noted that the insurance cover of the vehicle remains in force and ceases only after the completion of all prescribed procedures. For this reason, any action prior to their completion would have been not only premature but also outside the institutional framework. The procedure has already begun.

The Municipal Authority continues with consistency and respect for legality.